


Pepperony Young AU - Preview

by jonathandrew_gr_off



Series: pepperony young au [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:02:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonathandrew_gr_off/pseuds/jonathandrew_gr_off
Summary: Pepper Potts is fresh out of business school, and gets a job as PA to young, brilliant billionaire Tony Stark, who just tragically lost his parents.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, pepperony
Series: pepperony young au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1632865
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Pepperony Young AU - Preview

_ We were just kids when we fell in love… _

**January 18, 1992**

It’s 8:05 in the morning, her first day on the job, and already Pepper has a headache. 

“Mr. Stark--!”

She has to raise her voice over the din of the music -- Led Zeppelin is blaring from the state-of-the-art sound system, which is installed so seamlessly into the wall that she can barely see it, display screens glowing softly among the rich wooden paneling. The din makes her temples throb, and she barely suppresses the urge to clap her hand over her ears. 

Lounging at the imposing chrome-and-glass desk in front of the vast window is Tony Stark, his head tilted back against the headrest of his chair. Pepper takes a few steps closer and ascertains that, yes, he’s actually  _ asleep.  _ Considering the volume of the music, which is making the framed diplomas and pictures on the wall jerk and tremble, she would think it impossible for someone to sleep through this. But, from what she understands of her new boss, impossible is an easily conquerable frontier. 

To say the least, Tony is a genius. Building robots and AIs at an age when most kids are still tinkering with Legos, he not only inherited his father’s formidable intellect, but frankly outstripped it. Pepper never had the chance to meet the legendary Howard Stark, but everyone knows what contributions he’s made to society. Although, in Pepper’s view, his contributions are so awash in the blood and toil of others that it casts a shadow over his name and his company. 

And now the heir to both is passed out in front of her, snoring softly. The scent of scotch on his breath explains how he could possibly be sleeping through the avalanche of sound bearing down on them both. 

“Mr. Stark!” she shouts again, coming closer now. She reaches out to shake his shoulder. He twitches irritably but doesn’t wake up. “Mr.  _ Stark!” _

When she gives his shoulder another shake, he actually has the gall -- without opening his eyes, of course -- to reach up and shove her hand away. Pepper huffs in indignation, the sound swallowed up by Robert Plant wailing about a woman needing schoolin’. 

“Will you turn that off?” she bursts out, and to her surprise, the music immediately ceases.

She looks around, expecting to see another employee standing by the stereo, or perhaps an angel sent by the universe to save her from ruptured eardrums. But she and Tony are still the only two people in the room. 

“It’s voice activated.”

The voice is low, dry and reedy, dripping with exhaustion -- and she’s heard it before. During a press conference following the sudden, shocking death of Howard and Maria Stark, when the helm of the eponymous company passed to their only son. 

Pepper glances back at Tony Stark to find him finally awake, large doe eyes looking at her with a mixture of consternation and amusement. There’s something about this look that makes her draw herself up to her full height, lifting her chin in the air. She gets the feeling that he’s making fun of her, or at least finds her to be an object of mirth. 

Either way, she doesn’t like it. 

“I see,” is all she says, trying to summon a modicum of dignity despite her irritation, which is compounded with the fact that her ears are now ringing at the sudden silence. “My name is--”

“Virginia Potts. I know.”

Tony gets to his feet and immediately sways, reaching out to brace himself on the desk in the same moment Pepper grasps his arm to steady him. “My new assistant,” he says, and smiles at her. 

When he does, she is left in no doubt as to the veracity of his reputation as a playboy. It’s been splashed across countless tabloids over the years, a picture of him with this model or that socialitie, but she had always taken it with a grain of salt. After all, it isn’t as though such publications exactly care about the truth, as long as they can sell copies.

But Tony’s smile is warm and charming, and lends an extra depth to his brown eyes, which (not, she tells herself with a sudden vehemence, that she really  _ cares  _ about such things when it comes to her boss) are easily his best feature. 


End file.
